England 6-2 Iran
As World Cup openings go, this must have been what England had dreamed of.
Yes, the opposition was limited; yes, they faced a nation which had won just two of its 15 previous matches at the World Cup; yes, no-one should get too excited about a routine win against minnows on the world stage.
However, on the day we saw the first established footballing nation take to the pitch in Qatar, Gareth Southgate’s men did everything that was asked of them, including three quick-fire World Cup 2022 highlights which meant the contest was over by the break.
Highlights of the game
Arsenal man Bukayo Saka, handed his first-ever World Cup start thanks to his excellent club form, was named in the starting line-up which contained no surprises, other than the fact England lined up with a back four.
Placed 20th in FIFA’s world rankings – the highest ranked team in the Asian Football Confederation (although don’t let that fool you) – Iran proved the ideal opponents.
Coached by a figure respected the football world over, Carlos Queiroz may have only been in the hotseat for two months but has a deep knowledge of Iran’s players, his side was so well-drilled it took half an hour before the deadlock was broken.
After that though, the gulf was evident in the Khalifa International Stadium.
First, teenager Jude Bellingham directed a perfect header from a pinpoint Luke Shaw cross.
Another young ‘lion’, Saka, was next with a superb half volley after Harry Maguire headed a Shaw corner into his path.
Then, captain Harry Kane’s unselfish running and cross, after more good work by Bellingham, allowed the alert Raheem Sterling to net a third in 10 minutes.
Into the second half and Sterling found Saka who cut inside, beat two markers and threw a dummy before rolling in a low finish for his second.
The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for an Iran consolation when Mehdi Taremi was alert to lash a first-time shot in off the underside of the crossbar.
Yet it wasn’t the final goal as, less than a minute after coming off the bench, Marcus Rashford scored his first major tournament goal for England with some quick feet and composed finishing.
Then, with one minute remaining, two other substitutes combined as Callum Wilson unselfishly rolled the ball to Jack Grealish as England made it six.
It capped a miserable afternoon for goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini, who plays for Esteghlal in the Persian Gulf League, on his competitive international debut.
He had replaced Alireza Beiranvand early on after the Iran number one suffered concussion – a fate that also befell Maguire in the second half.
To Iran’s credit, it took a fine save from Jordan Pickford to deny them a second before a dubiously awarded penalty kick gave Taremi his second with the final kick.
So, the SBOTOP World Cup betting odds were correct in predicting this was a meeting between two sides at very differing ends of the spectrum.
The final word to Southgate.
Few were surprised that Maguire and Sterling were named in the starting XI, both two of the stars of England’s successful Euro 2020 campaign, despite less than convincing club seasons so far this term.
That is because both remain good players and better than most alternatives at Southgate’s disposal.
Described as ‘a show of strength’ from a manager refusing to bow to public consensus and an admission of weakness for England, who would no doubt find it easier to move on from Maguire if they had defenders queuing up to take his place, they both justified their inclusion.
That is why England are still leaning on Maguire and hoping that he can recapture the form that earned him a place in the team of the tournament at Euro 2020. At his best he is a powerful, imposing defender. He is decent on the ball and is perfectly capable of flourishing in a compact, deep defence, which is why he has been such a strong performer for Southgate’s England.
Defence, of course, is where their main vulnerabilities lie and is why I still do not see them progressing beyond the quarter-finals this time around.
Key statistics
Rashford scored just 49 seconds after coming on for England, the third-quickest goal by a substitute in World Cup history.
Bellingham is England’s second youngest scorer at the World Cup (19 years, 145 days) behind only Michael Owen in 1998 (18 years, 190 days). He is also the third youngest England player to start at a World Cup after Owen in 1998 (18 years, 198 days) and Shaw in 2014 (18 years, 347 days).
What’s next?
Friday (November 25) is the next time both of these nations are in action.
Iran meet Wales at lunchtime (Qatar time) before England face the USA on Friday evening.
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